LLANO DE LAS PAPAS, Mexico – A conservation activist trying to draw attention to the fragility of the Monarch butterflies' winter habitats in Mexico ended a 3,000-mile flight along the insects' migration route yesterday.

Vico Gutiérrez landed his ultra-light airplane Papalotzin in Angangueo, in Michoacan state, one of many forested areas west of Mexico City that serve as a safe haven for thousands of butterflies that migrate each year from Canada.

Papalotzin is a word from the ancient Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs that roughly translates to "small butterfly." The wings of the plane were painted to resemble the black-and-orange Monarch.

Gutiérrez, backed by the World Wildlife Fund, the state of Michoacan and the Mexican cell-phone company Telcel, made the trip to raise awareness about the need to better conserve the Monarchs' fragile habitats.

Illegal logging is thinning and toppling the fir forests that protect the butterflies from rain and cold.

With the help of volunteers from Canada, the United States and Mexico, Gutiérrez filmed interviews with scientists and other butterfly experts and enthusiasts along the way.

The crew plans to produce an hourlong documentary of the trip that will be shown in each one of the sites the Papalotzin visited.

"Understanding the cycle of life, migration and challenges of this small butterfly, which has the ability to fly more than 3,000 miles, gives humanity a unique message: We can and should learn to confront the diverse challenges of life," the Mexican pilot said.

"We need to put in place conservation projects, not just for the butterflies, but also for the forests, the deserts, the oceans, rivers, plants and animals and we need this to happen so, so urgently."

As Gutiérrez traveled the migration route, he said he often saw butterflies in the air, but they only gathered in great numbers on the ground when they rested.